Multi-colored housing for a portable electronic device and method for making the same

ABSTRACT

A housing for a portable electronic device includes a molded base and a nano-particle coating. The nano-particle coating is formed on the molded base. The nano-particle coating has nano-particles comprising a material selected from the group of zinc sulfide (ZnS), cadmium sulfide (CdS), tellurium sulfide (TeS), zinc selenide (ZnSe), cadmium selenide (CdSe), cerium oxide (CeO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO x ), tin oxide (SnO 2 ), zinc-europium orthosilicate (Eu—ZnSiO x ), barium-magnesium-europium aluminate (BaMgAlO x —Eu), and gadolinium-yttrium-europium borate ((Y, Gd)BO 3 —Eu), the nano-particles have predetermined sizes for producing different color.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to portable devices, and moreparticularly, to a housing for a portable electronic device.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Currently, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and PDAs(personal digital assistants) are in widespread use around the world.There is more and more demand for higher quality and serviceability ofthese portable electronic devices. Many portable electronic devices areprovided with removable panels, which can be changed over for new, moreaesthetically pleasing panels when so desired by users.

Removable panels are most commonly used with mobile phones. A user mayfrom time to time want to remove an old panel from a base cover of themobile phone, and install a newer, more attractive panel on the basecover instead. The new panel must be attached firmly and securely.

However, portable electronic devices with removable panels often sufferfrom dust contamination, where dust often enters into the interior ofthe portable electronic devices from the interspaces between theportable electronic devices and the removable panels.

Therefore, an attractive housing for a portable electronic device, whichovercomes the above-described problem, is desired.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A housing for a portable electronic device includes a molded base and anano-particle coating. The nano-particle coating is formed on the moldedbase. The nano-particle coating has nano-particles comprising a materialselected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), cadmiumsulfide (CdS), tellurium sulfide (TeS), zinc selenide (ZnSe), cadmiumselenide (CdSe), cerium oxide (CeO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO_(x)), tin oxide(SnO₂), zinc-europium orthosilicate (Eu—ZnSiO_(x)),barium-magnesium-europium aluminate (BaMgAlO_(x)—Eu), andgadolinium-yttrium-europium borate ((Y, Gd)BO₃—Eu). The nano-particleshave predetermined sizes for producing different color.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the housing can be better understood with reference tothe following drawings. The components in the drawings are notnecessarily to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the present housing. Moreover, in thedrawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a housing in accordance with a preferredembodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the housing along line II-II in FIG.1; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method for making the housing in accordancewith a preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in a preferred embodiment, a housing 100includes a molded base 10, a nano-particle coating 20 for producingdifferent colors, and an anti-reflection film 30. The molded base 10 canbe a front cover, back cover, flip cover, or slide cover of a portableelectronic device. The molded base 10 is, preferably, made of a plasticmaterial or a metal material. The nano-particle coating 20 is formed onan outer surface of the molded base 10, and the anti-reflection film 30is formed on a surface of the nano-particle coating 20. Thenano-particle coating 20 can be formed on all or part of the surface ofthe base 10.

The nano-particle coating 20 has a plurality of nano-particles which canproduce different colors. The nano-particles can be made of a materialof a sulfur compound such as zinc sulfide (ZnS), cadmium sulfide (CdS),and tellurium sulfide (TeS), or of a selenide compound such as zincselenide (ZnSe), and cadmium selenide (CdSe), an oxide compound such ascerium oxide (CeO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO_(x)), and tin oxide (SnO₂), afluorescent material such as zinc-europium orthosilicate (Eu—ZnSiO_(x)),barium-magnesium-europium aluminate (BaMgAlO_(x)—Eu), orgadolinium-yttrium-europium borate ((Y, Gd)BO₃—Eu), or any desiredcombination thereof.

The nano-particles can have an average size within the range of 1-100nanometers. Preferably, the size of the nano-particles is within therange of 2-50 nanometers. When the size of the nano-particles is between2-8 nanometers, the nano-particle coating 20 will show purple. When thesize of the nano-particles is between 9-15 nanometers, the nano-particlecoating 20 will look blue. When the size of the nano-particles isbetween 16-22 nanometers, the nano-particle coating 20 will show cyan.When the size of the nano-particles is between 23-29 nanometers, thenano-particle coating 20 will show green. When the size of thenano-particles is between 30-36 nanometers, the nano-particle coating 20will show yellow. When the size of the nano-particles is between 37-43nanometers, the nano-particle coating 20 will show orange. When the sizeof nano-particles is between 44-50 nanometers, the nano-particle coating20 will present red. Accordingly, if the size of the nano-particles isbetween 2-50 nanometers, the nano-particle coating 20 will presentmulticolor or rainbow colors. Therefore, the housing 100 will have afashionable and attractive appearance. The nano-particles can be made bya variety of methods such as the nano-solgel process, the wet-grindingprocess, and the quantum dot process, as long as the desired size of theparticles can be achieved.

The anti-reflection film 30 essentially consists of two materials, onewith a high refractive index and the other with a low one. The twomaterials are laminated each other. The high refractive material can betantalum oxide or titanium trioxide, and the low one can be silicondioxide. The anti-reflection film 30 acts so as to promote thetransmittance of light.

Optionally, the housing 100 can also have a titanium dioxide filmdeposited on the surface of the anti-reflection film 30. The titaniumdioxide film acts so as to sterilize and self-clean the housing.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an exemplary method for making the housing 100is provided. Firstly, a base 10 is molded. When the material of the base10 is plastic, the base 10 is molded by a method of injection molding.When the material of the base 10 is metal, the base 10 is molded by amethod of stamping molding. Secondly, the nano-particles are mixed intoa paint for coating. Thirdly, a nano-particle coating 20 is coated onouter surface of the base 10 with the paint mixing the nano-particles.The nano-particle coating 20 can be coated with different patterns.Fourthly, an anti-reflection film 30 is deposited on a surface of thenano-particles coating 20 by electron beam evaporation, ion beamassisted deposition, or ion beam deposition. Optionally, a titaniumdioxide film can be deposited on the surface of the anti-reflection film30. Thereby, a housing 100 for a portable electronic device is obtained.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the invention.

1. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising: a housingbase; and a nano-particle coating formed on the housing base; whereinthe nano-particle coating is made of nano-particles comprising amaterial selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS),cadmium sulfide (CdS), tellurium sulfide (TeS), zinc selenide (ZnSe),cadmium selenide (CdSe), cerium oxide (CeO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO_(x)), tinoxide (SnO₂), zinc-europium orthosilicate (Eu—ZnSiO_(x)),barium-magnesium-europium aluminate (BaMgAlO_(x)—Eu), andgadolinium-yttrium-europium borate ((Y, Gd)BO₃—Eu), the nano-particlesbeing configured to have a predetermined size for producing differentcolors.
 2. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein an anti-reflectionfilm is formed on the nano-particle coating.
 3. The housing as claimedin claim 2, wherein the anti-reflection coating essentially consists ofa high refractive material and a low refractive material.
 4. The housingas claimed in claim 3, wherein the high refractive material is one oftantalum oxide and titanium trioxide.
 5. The housing as claimed in claim3, wherein the low refractive material is silicon dioxide.
 6. Thehousing as claimed in claim 2, wherein a titanium dioxide layer isformed on the anti-reflection coating.
 7. The housing as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the nano-particle coating is formed on all or part ofthe surface of the base.
 8. The housing as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe size of the nano-particles is in the range of 1-100 nanometers. 9.The housing as claimed in claim 8, wherein the size of thenano-particles is in the range of 2-50 nanometers.
 10. A portabledevice, comprising: a housing, comprising: a housing base; and anano-particle coating formed on the housing base; wherein thenano-particle coating has nano-particles having a size in the range of1-100 nanometers, and the material of the nano-particles is selected sothat the nano-particles having the size in the range of 1-100 nanometersare capable of producing multicolor.
 11. The device as claimed in claim10, wherein an anti-reflection film is formed on the nano-particlescoating.
 12. The device as claimed in claim 11, wherein theanti-reflection coating consists of a high refractive material and a lowrefractive material.
 13. The device as claimed in claim 12, wherein thehigh refractive material is one of tantalum oxide and titanium trioxide,and the low refractive material is silicon dioxide.
 14. The device asclaimed in claim 11, wherein a titanium dioxide layer is formed on theanti-reflection coating.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 10, whereinthe material of the nano-particles is one of sulfur compound, selenidecompound, oxide compound, and fluorescent material.
 16. A method formaking a housing, comprising the steps of: providing a housing base; andforming a nano-particle coating on a surface of a housing base, whereinthe nano-particle coating is made of nano-particles comprising amaterial selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS),cadmium sulfide (CdS), tellurium sulfide (TeS), zinc selenide (ZnSe),cadmium selenide (CdSe), cerium oxide (CeO₂), zinc oxide (ZnO_(x)), tinoxide (SnO₂), zinc-europium orthosilicate (Eu—ZnSiO_(x)),barium-magnesium-europium aluminate (BaMgAlO_(x)—Eu), andgadolinium-yttrium-europium borate ((Y, Gd)BO₃—Eu), the nano-particlesbeing configured to have a predetermined size for producing differentcolors.
 17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein forming thenano-particle coating comprises the step of painting the surface of thehousing base with a paint mixing the selected nano-particles.
 18. Themethod as claimed in claim 16, wherein the nano-particles have a size inthe range of 2-50 nanometers.
 19. The method as claimed in claim 16,further comprising the step of depositing an anti-reflection film on asurface of the nano-particle coating.
 20. The method as claimed in claim16, further comprising a step of depositing a titanium dioxide film onthe surface of the anti-reflection film.